


Making Time

by mezzosaka



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, i fkcugkin love ryuunosuke, sogo is a sad boy, tamaki is the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for, tsumugi is a beautiful and capable manager and deserves the world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 04:12:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15134837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mezzosaka/pseuds/mezzosaka
Summary: “No,” Sogo blurted before he could really think about it. He couldn’t allow Ryuu to make time for him. Sogo wasn’t that important. He could manage, he really could manage, and he kept insisting that he could even when tears started rolling down his face and he was sobbing into the phone.“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Sogo repeated, furiously wiping at his face with his sleeve. “I just miss you so much. I’m sorry.”





	Making Time

**Author's Note:**

> i've literally had this idea in my head for so long you don't even know.... i'm glad i finally put it in motion
> 
> please enjoy!!! i love sogo so much. i hope i do him justice!!! i also love ryuusou so much..... and every sogo ship really but we're focusing on ryuusou here LMAO ok i'll be quiet PLEASE ENJOY

 

“I can’t do Wednesday. We’re shooting pretty much all day. Thursday?”

“I have something with Idolish7 in the morning on Thursday. The afternoon would work, though.”

“Ah, I have a recording in the afternoon.”

“And then on Friday—”

“Your concert.”

Sogo sighed. Most of his and Ryuu’s conversations went the same way. One of them was always busy when the other was free, or they were both busy at the same time. Occasionally, they got to see each other due to collab work or just by being in the same building. The most they got those times were maybe a few minutes together, but not enough. Never enough.

They text, though. All the time. No matter how busy they both were, there was usually enough time to text fairly often. Sometimes they’d have actual conversations, but other times Sogo would just be able to send a heart emoji before he had to keep going.

Nights were better. They called each other pretty often, even though the ends of the calls melted into these “when can we see each other” talks. And they almost never ended well. Sogo had half a mind to see if Tsumugi would possibly be able to arrange something, but every time he started to work the nerve up to ask her, he felt suffocated by how  _ selfish _ that was. Ryuu had lots of obligations; he shouldn’t try to move them around just for his own needs.

“I’m sorry,” Sogo said, but it really wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just an unfortunate circumstance that came with idol work. “Maybe after?”

“Well, if you and Tamaki-kun are doing a post-concert interview, you shouldn’t be up too late. You need rest.” Sogo could almost hear the look on Ryuu’s face then. It was probably the same look he gave his younger brothers when they’re in trouble, the “you should know better” look.

“I…” Sogo pursed his lips, sitting down on his bed. If he kept pacing, he’d be too awake to fall asleep. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t need to apologize.” Ryuu’s voice was softer now. Sogo wanted nothing more than to see him. Just for a few minutes. Even if they only had enough time to share a hug. It’d been such a long while, and Sogo was really missing his touch and his face and his voice and his everything. “We’ll see each other soon, I promise. I’ll make time.”

“No,” Sogo blurted before he could really think about it. He couldn’t allow Ryuu to make time for him. Sogo wasn’t that important. He could manage, he really could manage, and he kept insisting that he could even when tears started rolling down his face and he was sobbing into the phone.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Sogo repeated, furiously wiping at his face with his sleeve. “I just miss you so much. I’m sorry.”

“Shhh, Sogo, it’s okay,” Ryuu said. Sogo heard him shifting around, probably sitting up from where he was. “I promise I’ll see you soon. I’ll see you Saturday evening, when you’re done recording your interview. Okay?”

_ That’s too far away. _

Sogo nodded, though, and then quickly remembered Ryuu couldn’t see him. “O-Okay.”

“See? Don’t cry.” He knew Ryuu was smiling, as if everything would be okay, and Sogo wished so  _ badly  _ he could see it. “Are you tired? I’ll stay on the phone with you until you fall asleep.”

“We should both go to bed,” Sogo insisted. They’d both had long days that day. Sogo’s was filled with practice for Mezzo’s concert, and he felt like his muscles were about to give out on him. Mezzo’s songs weren’t very dance-intensive, but working on breath support was never a bad thing. He and Tamaki had practiced singing while running after they’d finished cleaning up a couple of dances. Exhausting, but worth it in the end.

“Are you sure? I don’t have to get up too early tomorrow. I can stay up a little longer,” Ryuu said. His offer was kind, but Sogo was sure he felt mostly the same way. Ryuu had mentioned practicing with Trigger before he’d gone home. Trigger’s practices were always heavy.

“I’m sure.” Sogo was beginning to gather himself anyway. He would be fine. He would be  _ fine _ . He just had to keep telling himself that. “Goodnight, Ryuu.”

“Goodnight, Sogo.” He sounded a bit apprehensive, like he wanted to push his offer further. By now, he knew it was pointless to insist. “I love you.”

That really made Sogo feel a bit better. They were still new to saying it, and it was still making Sogo’s heart flutter. It probably always will. It was Ryuu, after all, and Ryuu always managed to get Sogo’s heart doing all sorts of things.

“I love you, too,” Sogo said, and there was a smile on his face.

But he was crying again as soon as Ryuu hung up.

  
  


“You were gloomy today, Sou-chan.”

Tamaki was pouting at him when they made it back to the dorm. Tomorrow was the concert, and he was really trying to get himself excited for it. But it was hard to get excited when he knew Ryuu wouldn’t be there. Not like he  _ needed  _ Ryuu to be there, but they had really thought that this concert would have been the one Ryuu finally got to go to. The concert Sogo would be able to actually use one of his free tickets for.

All of that was crushed with a last minute variety show shooting. Because of course it was.

“I’m okay!” Sogo promised, punctuating it with a careful smile. “Don’t worry.”

“I didn’t ask if you were okay.” Tamaki saw right through him as always. He stood in front of Sogo’s door. “I said you were gloomy. Why? Did something happen with Ryuu-aniki?”

Tamaki was really way too perceptive. 

Sogo shook his head. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry.”

“You can tell me not to worry all you want. Doesn’t mean I won’t.” Tamaki moved, stepping inside Sogo’s room. He waited for Sogo to follow before he shut the door and flopped down on the bed. “You gotta tell me. How else are you gonna feel better?”

Sogo slowly sat in his desk chair. He knew there was no getting out of Tamaki’s interrogation. He just had to choose his words carefully so he didn’t worry Tamaki so soon before the concert.

“I’ve just been a little impatient,” Sogo said simply. “It’s really nothing to worry about. I’m fine.”

“You’re lying.” Tamaki looked up from his phone when he spoke. “That’s bad.”

Sogo folded his lands on his lap. “I’m not lying.”

“You’re lying again.”

“It’s just a little hard.” Sogo sighed. “I’ve wanted to see Ryuu for a while now, but nothing’s been working out. I thought he’d be able to come tomorrow, but the other day when we were talking on the phone, it turned out something came up. So we went through the rest of the week again to try and see if there was any other time, and there was nothing.”

He really didn’t mean to say so much.  It was always better if he just kept his feelings inside, no matter how much everyone insisted it wasn’t. He felt  _ worse  _ shoving his problems onto other people. Even if they wanted to hear about it, he thought that they were just being nice. Just saying so so they wouldn’t be held accountable if something happened to him.

Now  _ that  _ was dangerous territory. He tried not to think about those things anymore.

“That sucks,” Tamaki said. “Ryuu-aniki’s probably feeling bad about it.”

“It’s my fault, really.” Sogo’s hands were restless now, deciding they were bored with being settled on his lap and choosing to pull on the zipper of his jacket instead. “For being so needy.”

Tamaki sat up, looking at him incredulously. “Sou-chan, I don’t think you’re needy for wanting to see him. If you love someone, you want to see them. That’s normal.”

Sogo’s brows furrowed. He looked away from Tamaki. “Do you think he’ll lose interest in me? We text all the time, but that’s different from being face-to-face, right? Maybe he’s okay with not seeing me too often.”

“You gotta stop that, Sou-chan.” Tamaki huffed and tossed his phone to the side. “Ryuu-aniki  _ loves  _ you. He says it all the time. Did you know that? Sometimes if you don’t answer him for a while, he asks me if you’re okay. He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t love you.”

Sogo didn’t say anything. He knew Tamaki was telling the truth. He  _ knew  _ his mind was just being ridiculous, that he shouldn’t listen. It was so hard to ignore, sometimes, but he was glad he had people that would ground him.

“You’re right,” Sogo said, even if he didn’t believe it. “I’m sorry for pushing all of this onto you. Do you have schoolwork? You should have focused on that instead.”

Tamaki shrugged. “It’s not as important.” He picked his phone back up, typing something before standing. “I think you should relax today. I won’t bother you anymore.”

“You’re not…” Sogo shook his head. “You’re not a  _ bother _ ! Tamaki-kun, you can stay if you want. That wasn’t—I wasn’t sending you away.”

“Nope, I gotta go.” Tamaki was already halfway out the door. “I have  _ plans _ , Sou-chan.”

“Plans?” Sogo asked, but Tamaki had shut the door before he could give an answer.

Sogo took a deep breath, leaning back into his chair. He released it after a few seconds of holding it. Maybe he should revisit one of his books…  _ How to Relax: When the World is Crumbling Around You _ . That was a good read.

But it was nice to talk to Tamaki. Tamaki was blunt enough to tell Sogo the truth, even if it wasn’t what Sogo necessarily wanted to hear. But he was also kind enough not to make Sogo feel bad about himself. He really was a good kid, and sometimes Sogo felt like the younger of the two. Especially when he was being scolded and told to relax.

  
  


Sogo started to feel a little better as the concert progressed.

It was hard  _ not  _ to. A good crowd always had him feeling pumped, magnified by playing off of Tamaki’s energy. Neither of them were messing up, which always felt incredible. They’d been working hard, and Sogo was glad to see it’d all paid off.

He’d almost forgotten about Ryuu’s absence entirely.

It still hung in the back of his mind, especially when he scanned the crowd whenever the lights were dim enough. He’d try to forget about it by focusing on the fans people held up with his face on it, asking for a smile or a blown kiss. He didn’t typically do too much fanservice, but he couldn’t help himself that night.

They had a break in the middle of their show. A smaller group was performing for a bit, giving Mezzo a chance to relax and change clothes. Sogo changed first before he collapsed on the chair of the dressing room. He wasn’t too tired physically, but he knew he’d feel a lot better if circumstances were different.

Sogo looked at his phone.

 

**Ryuu:** Sogo! Do your best tonight!!! I love you! I know you’ll do great!

 

He smiled. At least Ryuu was thinking of him.

“We’re doing so good, Sou-chan!” Tamaki was nearly jumping around the dressing room, half changed into his next outfit. “Did you see how many signs I had? Did you hear all the fanchants?”

“Yeah, I saw!” Sogo straightened up a bit, setting his phone back down onto the counter. “You’ve been doing great tonight.”

“Thanks!” Tamaki beamed at him. “You, too. I think Ryuu-aniki would have really liked it tonight.”

Sogo’s smile faltered a bit. He knew Tamaki didn’t mean any harm, but he really didn’t want to think about what it could have been. He felt like he was disproportionally upset about it. It wasn’t like Ryuu deliberately chose not to come or anything. Sogo really should have just gotten over it already.

“Sorry,” Tamaki said, finally deciding to button up his shirt. “I didn’t wanna make you get gloomy again. I just thought—”

“It’s fine,” Sogo said, and he put on the best smile he could. “Let’s just keep doing our best, okay?”

“Yeah.”

Suddenly, Tamaki’s phone buzzed. His eyes went wide, and he rushed out of the room, leaving Sogo to his own thoughts. That was never good.

He reread Ryuu’s message over and over again until Tamaki came back.

  
  


The concert finished beautifully. The lights faded, and Sogo was so overwhelmed by the fans cheering that Tamaki had to pull him offstage. They were greeted by Tsumugi in the wings, cheerful as always, giving them both double high fives.

“Great work! Mezzo was charming as usual.” She reached out and pat Sogo’s shoulder. Her presence was calming, even through the bustle of the stage technicians around them. “Tamaki-kun said you weren’t feeling well today, but I couldn’t tell at all. You’re super professional! Like you’ve been doing this for a lot longer than you have. I’m proud of you.”

“I’m feeling fine,” Sogo said, slightly confused. He wondered why Tamaki would have even mentioned it to Tsumugi. Speaking of which, the boy seemed to have gone ahead.

“Aren’t we always telling you to say how you really feel?” Tsumugi crossed her arms, shaking her head. “It’s okay if you’re feeling under the weather. You should change quickly so we can get home sooner.”

She was practically pushing him out of the wings and into the backstage hallway. She gave a short wave before she disappeared again. She really was so diligent. Sogo was grateful to have someone so capable managing them.

The walk to the dressing room felt longer without Tamaki around. It wasn’t really that far at all, but usually after lives they had such energetic talks on the way. Barely even sentences.  _ Did you see, yeah, and then when, and it was so cool, and when you spun, and that one girl screamed, and, and, and _ …

Sogo pushed open the door to the dressing room. Surprisingly, Tamaki wasn’t there. But even more surprising was the mountain of flowers engulfing the counter.

Sogo looked around before slowly approaching it. His heart was racing. Maybe an insane fan had done this, sending flowers to distract them while she killed them or something. Maybe she had already gotten Tamaki and was lying in wait for Sogo.

There was a card sitting delicately on top of everything. Sogo opened it.

 

_ I told you I’d make time. _

 

Sogo read it a few times over before he looked up. In the reflection of the mirror, he saw Ryuu standing in the doorway, holding a bundle of even more flowers. In that moment, he could hardly think. He could only move, running towards Ryuu and throwing his arms around him. He was sure he accidentally knocked the bouquet to the floor, but he couldn’t even bring himself to care about that.

He didn’t feel empty anymore. Ryuu was holding him, even if he was sweaty and gross. Ryuu was hugging him so tightly and telling him how much he loved him and Sogo felt so good he thought he would cry. He  _ was  _ crying, he was getting Ryuu’s shirt all wet, and he didn’t even think to feel bad about it.

Even when Sogo started to let go, Ryuu kept him close, hands settled around Sogo. Sogo pulled him into a long, much-needed kiss before he could find the words he wanted.

“What? I thought…” Sogo was smiling through his tears, shaking his head. “I thought you couldn’t. I thought you were shooting.”

“We finished early,” Ryuu said. “Well, we more or less rushed it. Tamaki-kun told me what you said. He said he heard you crying.” One of Ryuu’s hands left Sogo’s waist to cup his cheek. “I wouldn’t stop loving you just because I couldn’t see you for a bit. You know that. I’d love you even if I never got to see you again.”

Ryuu blushed as he said that. It made Sogo sob.  _ He  _ should be the one blushing. He probably was, under all of the tears and sweat and make-up. He was just so happy.  _ So  _ happy.

“You’re welcome.” Tamaki squeezed past the two of them, beginning to rifle through all of his scattered things. His pile had previously been on the counter, but… well… it was on the floor now. “Don’t be too gross ‘cause I’m gonna get ready to go in here.”

Ryuu gave Sogo another kiss before reluctantly letting go of him. “We won’t be gross. I promise.”

While Sogo started to get himself in order, Ryuu began organizing all of the flowers. Sogo didn’t even want to think about how much they all cost. He couldn’t even begin to think of where he’d be able to  _ put  _ everything. He figured maybe he could give them away. Stand outside the venue holding them out.

“That’s how you get  _ killed _ , Sou-chan,” Tamaki said. “You’d die. Someone would kill you.”

“We could give them to a hospital,” Ryuu suggested. “Oh, I think we should give some to my neighbor. You’ve met her, Sogo. She’s sweet. I’ll say they’re from you.”

It wasn’t long before the dressing room was spotless once again. Ryuu had somehow managed to fit all of the flowers into a cardboard box that he  _ insisted  _ on carrying himself. Tamaki had left them, saying he’d go home with Tsumugi and that Sogo could stay out as long as he wanted as long as he was back at the dorms tomorrow morning.  _ That  _ was a special permission directly from Tsumugi.

Sogo didn’t realize how tired he was until he was sitting in the passenger seat of Ryuu’s car. The live excitement had worn off, leaving Sogo with the quiet excitement of finally being able to see his beloved again. He finally felt like he could relax, fighting to stay awake even though Ryuu’s quiet humming along to the radio was lulling him into sleep. He wanted to prolong it as long as he could, but his eyelids were really starting to feel like they were lead, and the car was nice and warm, and…

And Sogo had only barely woken up to be led into Ryuu’s apartment. He changed hazily before crawling into bed. He fought to stay awake then, too, only satisfied when he felt the bed dip beside him and strong arms wrap around him.

Finally.  _ Finally. _

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING!!! i hope you liked it!!!!! thanks for your time!!!!
> 
> here is [my twitter!!](https://twitter.com/mezzosaka) please check it out if you have time!


End file.
